In the Loop 2007-04-04

'In The Loop'
Quality Passes Lead to Quality Results
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 4, 2007) -- The essence of statistics is
explanation. Why is a driver doing so well? How competitive was a particular
race? Why is one driver performing better than...

'In The Loop'
Quality Passes Lead to Quality Results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 4, 2007) -- The essence of statistics is
explanation. Why is a driver doing so well? How competitive was a particular
race? Why is one driver performing better than another?

In 2006, NASCAR began distributing a stat which separates those who finish
in the top 10 to those who finish at the back. The stat is known as the
"Quality Pass." A Quality Pass is one in which a driver passes a car that's
in the top 15 while under green flag conditions. Baseball has a similar stat
-- the Quality Start (given to a starting pitcher who pitches six full
innings and gives up three runs or less).

The two versions of "quality" stats highlight the fundamental purpose of
competition: winning.

Passing any car is a tough proposition. Passing a car in the top 15? That's
where trophies are won and legacies are made.

In a way, a Quality Pass is almost as good as leading a lap, in terms of
points.

Look at it this way: If the 15th-place car passes the 14th-place car and
stays in that position in the final race results, the driver will pick up
three points (15th place gets 118 points, 14th gets 115). Better yet, if a
driver passes a car that's between sixth and 10th place, it's four points.
From first to fifth, it's another five. The difference between leading a lap
and a Quality Pass, is a lap led equals guaranteed points.

Every driver in the top 10 Martinsville Quality Pass rankings except Burton
improved their position in the standings from the previous race at Bristol.
Gordon upped his points lead from three to 28 after Martinsville. Kyle Busch
jumped from fifth to sixth in the points standings. Bowyer went from eighth
to seventh place. Kurt Busch moved from 20th to 17th. Hamlin jumped from
ninth to sixth. Johnson remained in third, but closed the gap between
himself and Gordon. Raines jumped from 30th to 26th. Stewart jumped from
12th to eighth and Edwards moved from 10th to ninth.

One driver has done it more times and has become more prolific at the craft
than any other this season thus far: Jeff Burton. There's little wonder,
then, that Burton sits in second place, a mere 28-points from leader Jeff
Gordon.

Burton has 451 Quality Passes. But the most stunning part of that number is
that it makes up an overwhelming percentage of his total passes. On the
season, Burton has 551 passes. That means 81.9% of his passes have been of
cars in the top 15. When Burton passes a car, he makes it count.